Alienware yesterday announced one of the most surprising new additions to their range, the console styled X51 system.

This small form factor PC is certainly eye catching and is going to be priced at only $699 in the US. As expected, this is for the base model configuration, so adding faster processors and more capable discrete graphics solutions will add to the overall price point.

The X51 can be used flat on a table, or vertically, in the same manner as the Playstation or Xbox 360. It is 3.74 inches wide, 12.52 inches deep and 13.5 inches high.

John Blain, from Dell, updated his blog yesterday and said “The community has asked for a more efficient gaming system for quite a while now, Gamers crave a system that delivers the Alienware experience in a smaller and more versatile form factor to meet the needs of today’s different environments – from the dorm room to the game room (I mean “office”), or wherever else gaming can be enjoyed. We want a system that is versatile enough for both work and play, but most of all, we want the experience to be as accessible as possible.”